School Bus, Van Collide

5 Injured

October 17, 1995|By LARRY BARSZEWSKI Education Writer

National Bus Safety Week had barely started Monday morning when a Palm Beach County school bus collided with a van in Riviera Beach, sending the bus driver and four Dwyer High School students to the hospital with minor injuries.

All five were treated and released from St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

The van tried to pass the bus as it was making a left turn from Martin Luther King Boulevard onto N Street. The front left bumper of the bus hit the side of the van, police said.

Riviera Beach police are investigating the 6:45 a.m. accident, which occurred in the rain. No charges had been filed as of Monday evening.

School district officials said the accident should not lead parents to think buses are unsafe. Interim Superintendent Bernard Shulman said some accidents are bound to happen.

"We do 55,000 miles a day. We have a lot of exposure out there," Shulman said. "We do have a very safe system."

The district's 561 buses transport about 56,000 students every day, district officials said.

Schools Transportation Director George Baker said much of his focus during National Bus Safety Week will be on school-bus-stop laws, although they did not appear to be a factor in Monday's accident.

Baker said he often hears complaints about drivers who do not obey school-bus-stop laws, and his goal this week is to educate more people about the rules.

"Motorists are required to stop for stopped school buses that are displaying flashing red lights and a stop arm," Baker said. "This is a very dangerous situation for the children, especially younger ones who may not be watching traffic as closely as they should."